Tie holder for concrete forms



March 22, 1955 HUMMEL 2,704,390

TIE HOLDER FOR CONCRETE FORMS Filed April 21, 1952 1511/ L 45 95 Z WEW United States Patent TIE HQLDER FOR CONCRETE FORMS John Clarence Hummel, Palatine, 11]., assignor to Robert R. Anderson Cc., Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Application April 21, 1952, Serial No. 283,308

7 Claims. (Cl. 25131) This invention relates to concrete forms and, more particularly, to devices associated therewith, for securing form ties in firm relation to such forms.

In producing concrete walls and columns, a form is made up of two or more panel units arranged to provide at least two spaced-apart walls between which wet concrete is poured. It is necessary that such spaced-apart walls be firmly secured together in order to insure obtaining a proper thickness of concrete wall or column and also to prevent separation or spreading of the panel units under weight of the wet concrete. It is the usual practice to secure such panel units, making up the respective walls, in proper spaced-apart relation by means of form ties of various types. In some instances the ties are extended through intermediate portions of the panel units, and in others the ties are placed against the vertical edges of the units and nailed in place, or are secured in place by conventional tie holders. The ties are usually first connected to the panel units making up one of the walls of the form, and as the other panel units are assembled to make up the opposite wall the free ends of the ties are, with great difficulty and substantial expenditure of time, fished into proper registering position with the openings or vertical edges of the form panels of the other wall. After the concrete is poured and set, considerable time and care is required in stripping or removing the panel units, making up the respective walls, from the concrete wall or column, to avoid appreciable damage to the panel units so that they may be re-used. In situations where the forms of the spaced walls are interconnected by form ties that are nailed to the form panels, a considerable amount of time is required in removing the form panel units and in removing the nails therefrom to permit separation of the forms from the ties, which frequently results in substantial damage to the forms.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide an improved concrete form construction which permits quick and easy connection and disconnection of sets of form panel units and form ties, which effects a substantial savings in man-hours and which reduces possible damage to the form panel units to a practical minimum.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved concrete form construction having means on each panel unit to permit quick and easy detachable connection of said form panel unit with respect to form ties.

Still another object is to provide a novel concrete form and form tie securing means which is simple in construction, easy and efiicient to use, economical to manufacture, and which insures against possible damage to the form panel units in their removal from the formed concrete Wall or column.

A further object is to provide a novel concrete form construction, comprising a form panel unit having form tie securing means permanently mounted thereon so as to permit quick and easy securement to, or separation of, the form panel units from the form ties when set in concrete, without the use of tools or implements.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a concrete wall with the forms in position, and with the form panel units comprising each of the respective walls connected to form ties by devices embodying the present invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view, taken at a plane between a pair of adjacent panel units, substantially as indicated at line 2-2 on Figure 1.

2,704,390 Patented Mar. 22, 1955 Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view, taken substantially as indicated at line 3-3 on Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a horizontal sectional view, taken substantially as indicated at line 4-4 on Figure 3.

In Figure 1 of the drawing, I have shown two horizontally spaced-apart form walls, indicated generally at 10 and 11, between which there has been formed a concrete wall 12, supported upon a concrete footing 14. Each of the form walls 10 and 11, as is the usual practice, is made up of a series of form panel units 15, disposed in edge to edge abutting relation. Said form panel units are of generally elongated, rectangular form and include a face panel 16 usually of wood. Generally these panel units are disposed in upright position, as seen in Figure l of the drawing, and secured to the rear side of the face panel, adjacent each of the vertical marginal edges, are vertical elements 18, and secured to the top and bottom of said rear face of the panel 16, at the respective marginal edges, are horizontal elements 19. The elements 18 and 19 are herein shown as 2 by 4s, but which may be of any other desired and convenient size, and are secured together and to the face panel 16 to form a box-like structure. The vertical elements 18 are preferably disposed inwardly a slight distance from the vertical marginal edges of said face panel 16, as seen in Figures 1, 3 and 4 of the drawings for purposes to be hereinafter described. It is to be understood that the panel units may be made up in any of the usual constructions such as, for example, in view of the elements 18 and 19 being in the nature of 2 by 4s, suitable angle iron elements may be used in lieu thereof.

It is to be understood that the form panel units, when positioned on a footing preparatory to making up a form for a concrete wall or column, are initially secured in place by nailing to a board on the footings or by direct securement to the footing proper, or may be directly seated on soil. In practice, when assembling the panel units to make up the first wall, form tie members, as indicated generally at 21, are employed and have one end portion, of a plurality thereof, connected to each of the form panel units. In some instances the form ties are extended through the intermediate portion of the face panel of the panel units. Another conventional practice is to position the form ties adjacent a vertical edge of the panel unit and secure them thereto by nailing. As the separate panel units are placed in proper position, each panel unit is firmly connected to the next adjacent panel unit and, as herein shown, by means of panel lock bolts 23, by virtue with a plurality of separate panel units, are rigidly secured together to form a form wall of desired length. Sometimes such adjacent panel units are directly connected by nailing together or by being nailed to a board. After a form wall is thus completed it is suitably braced by timbers in various conventional manners for firmly holding it in proper position and. to support the load of wet concrete when poured into the completed form. When the opposite spaced form wall is in process of being made up, and the respective panel units placed into position, usually the panel units of the second wall are aligned transversely with panel units of the first form wall, and as each panel unit is placed in position the free ends of the form ties, which are secured to the panel unitsof the first form wall, are with difliculty fished to align them with proper apertures in the face panels of the panel units being placed in proper position, or for registering with the vertical marginal edges of such units. The matter of getting the form ties placed into proper association with both cooperating sets of panel units, making up the opposite walls of the form, is laborious and time consuming. When all of the panel units making up the second spaced-apart form wall are in proper position, said second form wall is then suitably braced, in a manner well understood in the art.

The form ties currently employed are generally of a type which insures minimum spaced-apart relationship of the panel units making up each of the form walls. As seen in the drawings, the form tie member, as illustrated, is in the nature of a rod, formed intermediate its length, with two spacedapart enlargements or fianges, as indicated at 39, which serve as stops for inward movement of washer members indicated at 31, and which washer members are adapted to abut against the face panel 16 of the panel unit when mounted in position. The stops 30 are spaced apart a proper distance so as to insure proper spacing of the form walls and 11 to produce a concrete wall 12 of desired thickness. The portions of the rods adjacent the inside of each of the flanges 30, have reduced portions 32, and flattened portions 33, to provide points of weakening so that after the form panel units are removed from the formed concrete wall the projecting ends of the form ties may be bent over against the face of the concrete wall and twisted slightly to effect a severance of the projecting portion of the ties, in a manner Well understood in the art.

It may be here mentioned that form ties sometimes are used in conjunction with tie-holders which insure maintaining panel units of the respective form walls in proper spaced-apart relationship. Such holders, however, are expensive and require additional time in their application, and sometimes in removal of the forms become lost or damaged; hence, the more widely followed practice is to secure the form ties in place to the panel units by nailing and, obviously, in stripping or tearing down the panel units making up the forms, it is necessary to carefully remove the nails holding the form ties in place, otherwise the form panel units become damaged.

Referring now more specifically to the present invention, it will be noted that the marginal projecting portion of the face panel 16, at each of the vertical edges thereof, is provided with a plurality of vertically spaced-apart, horizontally extending notches 36, which constitute seats for the projecting end portions of the form ties 21. These notches are substantially of a depth so that the bottom thereof is flush with the outer surfaces of the vertical members 18. At one vertical edge of each of the form panel units 15, in alignment with each of the notches 36, is a spring pressed hook device, indicated generally at 40, mounted on the adjacent vertical element 18. Said devices each include a hook portion 41, formed for engaging and surrounding the outer portion of the form tie 21, as clearly seen in the drawing, and includes a shank portion 42 extending through the vertical element 18 of the panel unit. The shank portion, projecting inwardly of said element 18, is surrounded by a compression spring 43, abutting at one end against a washer 44, positioned against the inner face of the vertical element 18, and at the opposite end against a washer 45, which is held in position by cotter pin 46, at the inner end of said shank. The outer surface of the vertical element 18 is provided with a recess 48 for accommodating the hook portion 41 of said device when not in use.

It will now be apparent that by exerting pressure on the inner end of the shank 42 to compress coil spring 43, the hook portion 41 may be moved to a position for quickly and easily engaging or dis-engaging the form tie, as indicated at 21. When the hook is engaged with the tie, and the pressure on spring 43 is released, it securely and firmly holds said tie in position, in the notch 36 of said panel unit, in a substantially horizontal position, so that the opposite end thereof will be disposed in proper position for registration with the vertical edge of the cooperating panel unit of the other form wall. The matter of connecting and supporting the form ties in position may be quickly and easily accomplished and, likewise, when stripping or tearing down the form walls each of the panel units may be quickly and easily disconnected from the form ties which are then embedded in the concrete wall, so as to permit quick and easy removal of the panel units from the formed concrete wall.

In using panel units of the type having the vertical edges of the face panel flush with the vertical members 18, the edges of said face panel and the outer faces of said members may be notched to provide a seat for the form ties. While such notches 36, or those above referred to, may be omitted from the panel units, I prefer to employ notches because of added ease in assembly of the panel units and because of good constructional practice.

By virture of the present invention, considerable time is saved in both the original assembly and dis-assembly of the panel units, as well as insuring against possible damage to the panel units so as to permit their re-use over and over again.

It will be noted that the spring pressed hook devices 40 are mounted only at one corresponding vertical edge of each of the panel units, and the opposite edge of the face panel of each of said panel units is correspondingly notched, so as to provide clearance and permit some leeway in movement of the opposite end portion of the form ties in process of placing them in proper cooperating relation to the opposite panel units of the other form wall.

While I have herein shown the present invention as applied to one type of form ties, manifestly the form of spring pressed hook device may be modified so as to permit convenient use in connection with other types of form ties in the nature of straps or banding metal strips which are also used to a substantial extent in the art.

While I have herein shown and described a preferred embodiment of my invention, manifestly it is capable of modification and re-arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. I do not, therefore, wish to be understood as limiting this invention to the precise embodiment herein disclosed, except as I may be so limited by the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In combination, a concrete form comprising two or more panel units each having vertical elements adjacent each vertical edge, one outer vertical edge being notched to provide a seat for an end portion of a form tie for interconnecting a pair of spaced-apart, cooperating panel units, and means permanently secured to one of said units, adjacent said notched portion of said vertical edge, for detachably securing said form tie in firm relation to said one panel unit, said means comprising a member having a portion extending through a vertical element of the panel unit and having a hook at its outer end for engaging and surrounding said form tie for holding the latter in secure relation to said panel unit, and a coil spring surrounding said member for yieldingly urging said hook to a retracted position.

2. In combination, a concrete form comprising two or more panel units each having vertical elements adjacent each vertical edge, one outer vertical edge being notched to provide a seat for an end portion of a form tie for interconnecting a pair of spaced-apart, cooperating panel units, and means permanently secured to one of said units, adjacent said notched portion of said vertical edge, for detachably securing said form tie in firm relation to said one panel unit, said means comprising a member having a portion extending through a vertical element of the panel unit and having a hook at its outer end for engaging and surrounding said form tie for holding the latter in secure relation to said panel unit, and a coil spring surrounding said member and reacting at one end against the inner face of said vertical element and at the opposite end against a fixed stop on said member for yieldingly urging said hook portion to a retracted position.

3. In combination, a concrete form comprising two or more panel units each having a face panel, and a pair of vertical elements connected to said face panel and spaced inwardly a short distance of the vertical edges of said face panel, the portion of said face panel, outwardly beyond one of said vertical elements, being notched to provide a seat for an end portion of a form tie for interconnecting a pair of spaced-apart, cooperating panel units, and means permanently secured adjacent said one vertical element for detachably securing said form tie firmly to said panel unit, said means comprising a hook member having a shank portion extending through said one vertical element, and having a hook portion positioned against the outside of said element for engaging and surrounding said form tie, and a spring acting on said shank portion for yieldingly urging said hook portion to a retracted position when the hook member is free from engagement with the form tie.

4. A form tie holder for use with a concrete form comprising two or more panel units each having vertical elements adjacent each vertical edge; a form tie having opposite end portions adapted to be positioned against vertical edges of two spaced-apart, cooperating panel units for interconnecting said two units, and a form tie holder adapted to be permanently mounted on a panel unit, adjacent a vertical element, said holder comprising a member having a portion adapted to be projected through the adjacent vertical element of the panel unit, and having a hook portion at its outer end for detachably engaging a portion of said form tie for securing it in firm relation to said panel unit, and a coil spring surrounding said member for yieldingly urging said hook to a retracted position.

5. A form tie holder for use with a concrete form comprising two or more panel units each having vertical elements adjacent each vertical edge; a form tie having opposite end portions adapted to be positioned against vertical edges of two spaced-apart, cooperating panel units for interconnecting said two units, and a form tie holder adapted to be permanently mounted on a panel unit, adjacent a vertical element, said holder comprising a member having a portion adapted to be projected through the adjacent vertical element of the panel unit, and having a hook portion at its outer end for detachably engaging a portion of said form tie for securing it in firm relation to said panel unit, and a coil spring surrounding said member and adapted to react at one end against said vertical element and at its opposite end against a fixed stop on said member, for yieldingly urging said hook portion to a retracted position.

6. In combination, a concrete form comprising two or more panel units each having vertical elements adjacent each vertical edge, a form tie having opposite end portions positioned against the vertical edges of two spaced-apart, cooperating panel units for interconnecting said two units, and means permanently secured to one of said units, adjacent one vertical element at a vertical edge thereof, for detachably securing said form tie in firm relation to said one panel unit, said means comprising a member having a portion extending through a vertical element of the panel unit and having a hook at its outer end for engaging and surrounding said form tie for holding the latter in secure relation to said panel unit, said vertical element, at the outer face thereof, being provided with a recess for accommodating said hook of said member, within the plane of the outer vertical marginal edge of said one panel unit, and a spring for yieldingly urging said member to a retracted position with the hook of said member positioned in said recess, when the member is free from engagement with the form tie.

7. In combination, a concrete form comprising two or more panel units each having a face panel, and a pair of vertical elements connected to said face panel and spaced inwardly a short distance of the vertical edges of said face panel, a form tie having opposite end portions positioned against the vertical edges of two spaced-apart, cooperating panel units for interconnecting said two units, and means permanently secured to one of said units, adjacent one vertical element at a vertical edge thereof, for detachably securing said form tie firmly to said panel unit, said means comprising a hook member having a shank portion extending through said one vertical element, and having a hook portion positioned against the outside of said element for engaging and surrounding said form tie, and a spring acting on said shank portion for yieldingly urging said hook portion to a retracted position when the hook member is free from engagement with the form tie.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,137,998 Merriett May 4, 1915 1,227,041 Colt May 22, 1917 2,236,616 Bosco Apr. 1, 1941 2,297,899 Krueger Oct. 6, 1942 2,299,072 Rogers et al. Oct. 20, 1942 

